Petersdorf R G
Rev Infect Dis. 1986 May-Jun;8(3):478-87. doi: 10.1093/clinids/8.3.478.
In 1978 the statement was made that if any more infectious disease specialists were trained they would be culturing one another. The increase in infectious disease consultants continues unabated. The number of training programs in infectious disease is rising in proportion to the number of fellows being trained; one-third of these training programs are in New York, California, and Texas, and a number of them are not associated directly with medical schools. It is often argued that there is no reason to restrict the number of infectious disease consultants because there is plenty for them to do. There are an equal number of arguments against unbridled growth, including the fact that the existence of specialists in most community hospitals with lead to fewer referrals to the teaching centers and the resulting lack of patients will lead training programs to atrophy. Infectious disease is destined to function best as an academic specialty whose trainees should pursue careers primarily as investigators. The number of clinicians leaving training should be reduced and not further glut the marketplace; they should be based in academic divisions and devote their clinical time and effort to the care of complex referral and to indigent patients.
1978年有人指出，如果再培养更多的传染病专家，他们就会互相培养。传染病顾问的数量持续增长且没有减缓的趋势。传染病培训项目的数量与接受培训的学员数量成比例上升；其中三分之一的培训项目位于纽约、加利福尼亚和得克萨斯州，而且其中一些项目与医学院没有直接关联。人们常说没有理由限制传染病顾问的数量，因为他们有很多工作要做。同样也有很多反对无节制增长的观点，包括在大多数社区医院设立专家会导致转诊到教学中心的病例减少，以及由此导致的患者短缺会使培训项目萎缩。传染病作为一个学术专业，其学员应主要从事研究工作，这样才能发挥最佳作用。应该减少完成培训后进入临床工作的人员数量，而不是进一步使市场供过于求；他们应该隶属于学术部门，将临床时间和精力用于照料复杂的转诊患者和贫困患者。
